Modular Design: Designing with building blocks.

2013-07-12 12:30 Dalius G. Ripley 次

Modular Design: Designing with building blocks.

Just like the most exiting toy of the 20th century Lego which allowed us as children to build up our fantasy worlds. As architects we are looking for ways which permit us to play, and realise a complex system which may not necessarily be made up of complex elements.

The concept of modular design or "modularity in design", is an approach that subdivides a system into smaller parts (modules) that can be independently created and then used in different systems to drive multiple functionalities.

Besides reduction in cost (due to lesser customization, and less learning time), and flexibility in design, modularity offers other benefits such as augmentation (adding new solution by merely plugging in a new module).

A great example of such system would be the Drum tower hospital in Nanjing by Lemanarc architects.

Bird eye view of the hospital

The Architects have used the modular system from the beginning of the design, form the room standardization, to interior elements, as well as façade system.

Modular façade system.

With the size of the hospital of over 400 000sqm, by the use of modular elements the architects are able to control the interior detailing to an extremely high standard, while still maintaining a tight budget. The entrance atrium

Corridor _ waiting area

Modular design seems to be the key to the issue of controlling the quality of “mega projects” which are becoming a more common occurrence in our daily design today.